RIFLE clubs in Caithness claim their futures are on the line if proposed swinging hikes in their annual licence fees go ahead. They fear the long-established popular sport in the county could die out, as a result of Home Office plans to increase the charge from £83 to £1050.

A CONSERVATION project has announced plans to create a sanctuary for a wildcats in Caithness. The Wildcat Haven project will begin work in February, surveying for wildcats and providing free neutering of domestic cats in the area.

AMBULANCE staff in Caithness are "becoming increasingly frustrated and concerned" about the dangerous practice of using emergency vehicles to transfer to hospital in Inverness. That is the claim made yesterday, by the Unite union which says overstretched ambulances are leaving communities without cover.

PEOPLE in the Highlands will be paying more money for fewer services as a council tax rise will be enforced at the same time as cuts. Highland Council has confirmed council tax will be raise by three per cent for bands A-D along with a nationally imposed higher rise for larger homes.

SCOTLAND'S First Minister has pledged to "think very carefully" about the future of Highlands and Islands Enterprise but refused to confirm if its board will be kept in the north. This comes after opposition MSPs voted against the SNP government's plan to merge the board with a single national enterprise body.

CAITHNESS councillors David Bremner and John Rosie have confirmed they will not be standing for re-election in the Highland Council elections in May. But all seven other Caithness councillors have announced they will stand for re-election in May when the number of councillor position in the county will be reduced from 10 to eight.